Salt and pepper holder.



H. W. OOMSTOGK.

SALT AND PEPPER HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, 1910.

$972,339. Patented Oct. 11,1910.

' .El E E 5111 ucmi'o;

atroznm a HENRY W. COMSTOCK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SALT AND PEPPER HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

Application filed February 17, 1910. Serial No. 544,427.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. CoMs'rooK, citizen of theUnited States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Salt and Pepper Holders, and do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in salt and pepper holders.

One object of the invention is to provide a holder of this character from which the contents may be discharged directly where they are wanted and from which the contents may be forced when in condition.

A further object is to provide a salt and pepper holder which, when not in use, is ti htly closed, thus preventing the entrance 0 dust or moisture.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of a holder constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view; Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the bottom plate and the discharge valve arranged therein showing the latter in closed position in full lines and in open position in dotted lines; Fig. 5 is a side View of the top closing cap; Fig. 6 is a bottom plan View of the same; Fig. 7 is an edge view of the valve with its steni and operating knob as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a side view of a modified form of valve and operating stem.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the body portion of the holder, said body portion being preferably formed of glass. The body portion may be of any desired shape and is here shown as being tapered toward its upper end and open at both 1ts upper and lower ends. The upper end of the holder is closed by a metal cap 2 having an annular depending flange 3 which is split or notched inwardly at intervals and is adapted to be forced into tight frictional engagement with the neck 4 a damp or packed of the holder. In the center of the cap 2 is formed an aperture 5, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

On the lower end of the holder is formed an exteriorly threaded bottom receiving flange 6 on which is screwed a threaded bottom plate 7 having a centrally disposed depressed portion which is preferably stamped upwardly and forms circular recess 8, the edges or side walls of which preferably overhang to provide an annular locking groove 9 with which are engaged the opposite ends of a valve retracting or closing spring 10. The spring 10 is preferably formed by bending a spring wire rod into a series of loops 11, on the opposite side of a central valve en aging portion 12. .The opposite ends 12 of the wire rod are bent to form an arc and are adapted to be sprung into engagement with the groove 9 formed in the edge of the depressed portion of the bottom plate, thereby securely holding, the spring in operative position in the recess 8.

In the center of the bottom plate 7 is formed a discharge passage 13, which is normally closed by a valve 14 arranged on the end of an operating stem 15, which jects upwardly through the body of the holder and has secured to its upper end an operating knob 16, which projects and works through the aperture 5 in the cap 2 of the holder. The discharge passage 13 may be of any suitable shape but in the preferred form of the holder sald passage is of oblong rectangular form. The valve 14 is of similar shape and is of the same width as the discharge passage, but has a slight-1y greater length at its lower end and has its edge wall inclined or tapered upwardly whereby, when the valve is depressed, spaces will be formed between the upper narrow portion of the valve and the adjacent ends of the passage 13, thus providing for the discharge of the contents of the holder when the valve is in a depressed position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

On the valve stem 15 immediately above the narrow portion of the valve are formed laterally projecting angular agitating lugs 17, which are adapted to force the contents of the holder through the discharge passage when said contents are in a damp or packed condition, whereby they will not readily sift through the openings formed by depressing the valve as hereinbefore described. When it is desired to discharge any of the contents pro of the holder the knob 16 is .depressed, thus depressin the plunger 15 and valve 14 against t e tension of the spring 11 and opening the discharge passage 111 the manner describedQ While the valve 14 has been described and is preferabl constructed in flat rectangular form and as its operating knob formed separate from-and secured to the upper end of the stem, it is obvious that the valve may be of an other suitable shape and that the stem and knob may be formed integral. In Fig. 5 of the drawings is shown a circular valve 18 having its stem 19 and operating knob 20 formed integral.

By means of a holder constructed as herein shown and described, the contents may be discharged in the desired quantities just where the same is wanted and the scattering or blowing of the contents where they are not wanted is thus obviated. It will also be. noted that, when the valve is in a closed position, the holder is entirely closed and the contents thus protected from dust or moisture and that, when it is desired to fill the holder, it is simply necessary to remove the cap at the upper end thereof after which the cap may be quickly and easily replaced, and .will be securely held in position by the frictional engagement of the split or knob flange 3 thereon with the neck 4 of the holder.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim 1s:- v

1. A holder of the class described, comprising a body member 0 en at its upper and lower ends, a closure or the upper end thereof, a closure for the lower end of the holder having a centrally depressed portion provided with a'discharge passage, a valve to open and close said passage, 9. spring secured in the recessed portion of the closure for the lower end of said body and adapted to close and hold said valve in closed position, and means whereby said valve is depessed to open the discharge passage.

. A holder of the class described, com-- prising a bod member having closures for 1ts upper an lower ends, the closure for the upper end having formed therein a guide passa e, said closure for thelower end of said ody member havin a central depression therein provided with a discharge passage, said depression having inclined edges adapted to form anannular groove, a spring arranged in said depression and having itswop osite ends engaged with said groove whereby the spring is held in position, a valve adapted to 0 en and close the discharge passage in said epression, an operating stem connected with said valve and projected upwardly through the holder and an operating knob on the upper end 0 said stem, said knob projecting through the guide passage in the closure on the upper end of the holder.

3. A holder of the class described having a centrally d ressed portion in the bottom thereof, provi ed with a discharge passage, a valve to open and close said passage, a spring mounted in the recessed portion of said bottom and o erable to close and hold said valve in close position, and means for operating said valve to open the discharge passage.

4. A holder of the class described, having a centrally de ressed portion in the bottom thereof provi ed with a dischar e passage, said depressed portion having inc ed edges to form an annular groove, a spring arranged in said depressed portion and having its opposite ends engaged with said groove whereby said spring is held in operative position, a valve to open and close said assage, said valve being closed and held in closed position by said spring, and means for operating sa1d valve to open the discharge passage.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY W. COMSTOCK.

Witnesses:

J. E. SHARP, B. E. House. 

